Here’s the latest from both Big Apple teams…
- Despite Stephen Drew’s struggles, ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand writes that the Yankes may not address second base in any major way at the trade deadline due to a lack of clear upgrades on the market. Rob Refsnyder has shown defensive improvement at Triple-A and could be called up to supplant Jose Pirela, yet it’s possible Refsnyder himself could be trade bait; he has some prospect value but he isn’t one of the “top tier guys” in the Yankee farm system.
- From that same piece, Marchand also notes that the Yankees aren’t likely to obtain an ace starter like Johnny Cueto or Cole Hamels “unless prices drop significantly.”
- The Yankees are only a season and a half removed from handing more than $500MM in free agent contracts to Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka, yet the early returns are still inconclusive at best, Marchand and Wallace Matthews write. Beltran hasn’t shown much, McCann struggled in 2014 but has hit well this season, and Ellsbury and Tanaka have both looked good when healthy but still have injury question marks hanging over them. While there’s still plenty of time for the quartet to live up to their big contracts, this uncertainty in the early years of their contracts (when each, save Beltran, should still be in or close to their primes) isn’t an encouraging sign.
- The Mets have struggled badly against right-handed pitching this season, a problem that Joel Sherman of the New York Post blames on “front office negligence” and a “refusal to churn — to aggressively try to upgrade even marginally” for quality left-handed bench depth. Juan Lagares has been particularly ineffective against righty pitching, and Sherman lists five players (Brock Holt, Gerardo Parra, David Peralta, Seth Smith and Will Venable) he feels would be good options as platoon partners with Lagares in center field. Of that group, I highly doubt the Red Sox would deal the versatile Holt and Smith’s contract is likely too expensive for the Mets’ seemingly limited payroll.
- If Mets GM Sandy Alderson is indeed “prepared to overpay” for a hitting upgrade, ESPN’s Buster Olney (via Twitter) wonders if the team could shop Zack Wheeler to an American League team. The Mets already have a plethora of young rotation options and Wheeler could be seen as expendable. An interested team would be making “a futures bet,” as Olney puts it, since Wheeler is out of action until roughly the middle of 2016 recovering from both Tommy John and tendon surgeries.
There’s no point in the Yankees going after someone serious to fill 2B-to have a realistic chance to get to October, they absolutely need more from their core players–and especially their expensive recent free-agents. Drew isn’t the difference-maker right now. As for the Mets, give them credit for assembling young pitching talent. They were able to do that, in part, by simply not competing very hard and selling off older talent. Smart management, but not one committed to winning short-term at all–particularly if it means spending. They obviously have a corporate philosophy right now the prioritizes cash-flow and debt-service.
Yankees should just…trade Flores or M.Williams to the Red’s for Brandon Phillips…while eating the rest of his contract……
Phillips isn’t much of an offensive upgrade. Hes been below-average offensively this season with a .690 OPS and a 90 OPS+
Also the Yankees should of passed on Tanaka…he’s not an Ace….he’s more of a #2 starter…and never signed Beltran either…..Ellsbury and McCann where good deals…..also passing on Tanaka…would have allowed them to go after Lester….or Price after this season…….
Hindsight is 20/20. Signing Tanaka looked like the second coming of Yu Darvish. Tanaka is ABSOLUTELY an ace, when healthy, which he hasn’t been since the middle of last season.
McCann’s OPS at home is 1.083. On the road…….. .583.
You can’t trade Refs. He is the next Cano.
The next Cano? Refs has never been a top prospect, never has made the top 100, wasn’t a high draft pick and is close to losing his ‘prospect’ tag in terms of his age. 24 isn’t a spring chicken for someone who you compared to a future HoFer.
Robinson Cano is a future HoFer?
Yes. Unless this year is the start of a steep and awful decline then he will be a hall of famer.
Cano wasn’t a top prospect, never made the top 100, wasn’t a draft pick at all but signed for very little money, and never had much of a prospect tag at all.. You are right though.. Other than being middling prospects that seemed like sure fire trade bait the two are not alike.. But calling Cano a future hall of famer is a bit of a reach right now.. He is still a few productive seasons away..
Cano was much more highly regarded then Refsynder. He is and has been the top second basemen in the game for years. He has over 200 home runs and his other stats are up there too. For a second basemen, I think he’s a pretty clear case for the hof unless he falls off. The two are impossible to compare.
Neither was cano.
What are you talking about? Cano was already great in his age 22-24 seasons. He also was a much more high rated prospect then Refs who is really a non prospect.
I’d take any of those guys to help out the Mets. Not only would it give Lagares a platoon but Grandy and Cuddyer too if they need a day off.
Olney is really getting on my nerves. It really doesn’t matter how Lagares hits. He’s not in there to hit. He’s in there for defense and any hitting he gives you, is a bonus at this point. He’s young and was rushed to the big leagues. He’s still learning HOW to hit at this level. The point is, why would you platoon a gold glove center fielder? The defense on this team is already struggling and by removing the one solid piece of the puzzle, you only compound that issue.
As for trading Wheeler, that would be a HUGE mistake because of the TJ. You can’t get anything close to market value for him right now, so you’d be trading him when his value is at an all time low. Does this guy even think before he writes this stuff?
I wish we could still upvote stuff because you’re right on both points. Lagares isn’t in there for hitting. Sure, he’s hitting poorly now, but in his short career, July and August are his best hitting months.
Also, excellent points in re: Wheeler. The fact that Wheeler is out with TJ surgery coupled with the fact that Harvey just missed a year with TJ surgery underscores the importance of depth. Honestly, who’s going to give up a lot for a guy who won’t even pitch for you this season? What a baffling suggestion by Olney.
Sherman never did finish his article.. Like what the mets were going to propose giving up for any of those 5 guys.. Can’t see Boston moving Hole anyway. he’s the super utility player of the 2015 season, already playing 7 positions before the AS break, just like he did last season and producing well. 27YO, 5 seasons of control left. Boston isn’t going to listen on bottom end SP’ers Colon, Niese, Gee. It would take a creative deal, involving Syndergard, Harvey, Wheeler.. One of the high end kids with multiple pieces involved (probably) on both ends if it could even work.
I don’t see the Mets and Red Sox matching up really. I doubt the Red Sox would give up what it takes to get Syndergard or Harvey and Wheeler is probably gonna stay put as they will not want to sell low.
Wheeler for Holt would work..
A guy with #2 stuff for a utility guy? It would work for the Red Sox; not sure how well it would work for the Mets, though.
There is now ay Holt gets back one of the mets young pitchers
one on one.. I agree.. Holt can play a very adequate starting IF position however and do it very well.. Either SS, 2b.. Even a corner OF if some team doesn’t want him as a super utility type, so if the Mets grow tired of getting poor production from a position? Holt plays decent defense at both SS/2b (natural middle IF anyway) and could scrap the utility label temporarily.
What meant by adding pieces initially, was Boston has a very nice farm system, even after graduating Betts, Bogaerts, Sihhart, Vazquez and Bogaerts the last couple of years.. They have Devers, Owens (doing much better as a AAA starter of late), Brian Johnson at AAA, Michael Kopech, Manual Margot. Several intriguing young arms in fact.
A team with a deep system can always add to a deal and make one possible, even if it refuses to deal from a core of players.
The Mets would prefer to move their lesser arms so they don’t line up well with Boston, a team looking for a top-of-the-rotation candidate. If they were willing to move Mookie Betts, it would be a different story, since the Mets and Mookies go way back, and he’s very talented.
Refsnyder should be playing everyday, in the majors at second base. Heck, when Prado went out last year, his stellar production should’ve been enough to get him a cup of coffee since they were not a postseason team. I like Drew as a UTIL IF, and a power option off the bench from time to time, he just shouldn’t be run out there every single day. The dude has hit roughly .180 for almost a full seasons worth of at bats. Time to move on. Pirela was never the answer and neither are any of the other “Brian Roberts” out there. I’ve never seen such a glaring need on a ballclub, and such an obvious answer looming so ever close, with no action. For the haters who keep mentioning the errors, Cano and other comps…check out Robbie’s error totals in the minors (Jeters too), and remember the guys in the minors can’t pick em like Tex. Yes, Ref had a rough go in the early part of the season on both sides of the plate, probably a little discouraged too that guys with less talent were getting the nod over him. Baseball isn’t about success, it’s about failure and ensuring you adapt and adjust to the game daily. Refsnyder has make-up that’s off the charts and should be given an opportunity. If not, I hope the Yankees trade him to a team that gives him an opportunity.